Has anyone ever owned or tried one of these

[bearbait]

Amazon.ca

Not necessarily this one but a back pack trimmer as opposed to just a regular trimmer. My old Stihl FS85 is starting to feel it's age like myself, both of us have maybe pushed it a little bit further than we should have. Having a shoulder torn beyond repair I'm just wondering if this may be just a little easier on the old body. Appreciate your input guys.

 

[BigG]

I was thinking of a better way to trim things up. I have been looking at one of these: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/t...nqEOdKkq0R59kvYC9tU0=&ddkey=https:NTECheckOut

Put the tank on a hand cart and 30 feet of hose ought to be pretty easy to make some weeds go away.

 

[michigander]

Amazon.ca

Not necessarily this one but a back pack trimmer as opposed to just a regular trimmer. My old Stihl FS85 is starting to feel it's age like myself, both of us have maybe pushed it a little bit further than we should have. Having a shoulder torn beyond repair I'm just wondering if this may be just a little easier on the old body. Appreciate your input guys.

That 4 cycle motor looks like the same Honda we have on our Mantis tiller
Its quiet and only takes like 2.3 oz. of oil.

 

[ccoon520]

I have not used one of those or even seen one. Frankly I don't know how well it would work because the rotation would need to be redirected at least 90° then it would still need to swivel to allow for the head to sweep unless you are intended to swing your whole torso. To me it seems to add areas where the motor could get bound.

If you need additional support I do know to that stihl has both straps and double shoulder harnesses for their trimmers that will probably transfer the load almost as good but still have the simple traditional trimmer attached to it. I'm sure other brands have the same things too and should help ease the load significantly.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Guess my even older FS66shpuld probably be replaced but it runs like a top and I'm too cheap to replace it anyway. It's a handlebar with shoulder strap straight shaft model and I have the saw blade too. It will handle a good sized tree no issue.

Most likely be in my estate sale. Stihl stuff lasts forever.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

I have one of these Echo trimmers... Very high quality. Made in Japan. Available at HD. Uses the extra heavy gauge string that has a square profile and cuts like mad.

I had wanted to try the saw blade attachment so I bought the blade kit for this machine. Comes with a load of bits. Easy on and easy to convert back to string. Take maybe 5 minutes if you label the parts with a sharpie.

ECHO 8 in. 8-Tooth Brush Blade Conversion Kit (20 mm) 99944200422 - The Home Depot

The ECHO 8 in. 8-Tooth Grass Blade and 20mm Blade Kit offers more versatility with your ECHO SRM trimmer. From trimming the lawn to cutting through dense weeds and underbrush, our blade conversion kit

www.homedepot.com

The thing I was stunned at is, with the saw blade on, the motor only has to run about half speed, even in deep weeds. It will cut up to half inch woody material and that may take more power but, I don't have any woody brush. Once you get used to the saw blade, there is very little kickback. The blade kit comes with a harness that allows you to put the trimmer weight on your shoulder and then, just pivot back and forth. I am very happy with the saw kit and put it on for applications where the string doesn't quite "cut it," which isn't often.

 

[Tornado]

I use a Stihl KM131 R (Kombi system). I love it. It does everything in one unit - it is a little heavy though, but I do have the most powerful motor head they make. I have a blower for it, hedge trimmer, weed wacker, brush cutter blade, and pole saw. It runs it all. I also have an extension bar that puts the pole saw out over 12 feet. Its been one of the best outdoor tool purchases Ive ever made.

 

[skeets]

WAIT you said honda makes a motor that fits the mantis tiller? I have one and the coil is toast or so the guy told my wife and he wanted 250.00 for a new coil.

 

[michigander]

WAIT you said honda makes a motor that fits the mantis tiller? I have one and the coil is toast or so the guy told my wife and he wanted 250.00 for a new coil.

yep 4 cycle Honda on it , here is a link to tiller $399.00 + tax I would have a hard time fixing other one unless special other attachments.

7940 Tiller - Mantis

The Mantis 4-Cycle Plus 7940 Tiller/Cultivator is easy to start, quiet, and doesn't require any fuel mixing. Perfect for gardens of all sizes!

mantis.com

 

[Fordtech86]

No experience with that unit you posted, I have basically the same as Tornado minus hedge trimmer and blower but have the tiller head along with string head, brush head, polesaw and extension. But what about this if carrying weight is the issue

down side is from what I see is you buy the yard boss unit as a tiller and can add the wheel kit and string head, but maybe a good stihl dealer could work with you on just getting the trimmer unit?

or this

https://randysoneshop.stihldealer.net/products/trimmers-and-brushcutters/battery-trimmers/fsa85/

says it weighs in about 10 pounds and you wouldn’t need to pull start it either. Don’t know which issue was worse with your shoulder.

 

[BigG]

WAIT you said honda makes a motor that fits the mantis tiller? I have one and the coil is toast or so the guy told my wife and he wanted 250.00 for a new coil.

You can buy a new tiller for $99.

 

[skeets]

A mantis for 99 bucks??

 

[Russell King]

Echo makes a very nice shoulder harness that has a waist belt so most of the weight is carried on your hips and is very comfortable. I use it with a Echo PAS 365 multi attachment and u bar handles like a true brush cutter. That is comfortable on hands and wrists.

I don’t see any waist belt on what the original poster asked about so I think it would be tough to carry on just shoulders. Neat idea though using the flexible shaft.

 

[BigG]

A mantis for 99 bucks??

Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller/Cultivator 7920 [D0JV6F8] - $99.12 : nehrur.com

nehrur.com Mantis 2-Cycle Tiller/Cultivator 7920 [D0JV6F8] - Commercial-grade 2-cycle engine spins the tines at up to 240 RPM twice as fast as other tillers. Push button priming. Tough one piece gear box folding handles cushioned grips and with a variable speed control and shut-off switch at...

www.nehrur.com

Mantis 7924 (9) 21cc 2-Cycle Plus Cultivator/Mini Tiller w/ FastStart [Z50L4OI] - $99.41 : vinetz.com

vinetz.com Mantis 7924 (9) 21cc 2-Cycle Plus Cultivator/Mini Tiller w/ FastStart [Z50L4OI] - Mantis 2-Cycle Plus Tiller/Cultivator - Heavyweight tilling power in a lightweight, compact size starts 75% easier. The secret is a spring-loaded ratchet-coil that adjusts the piston and compresses the...

www.vinetz.com

 

[bearbait]

Thanks for the input guys, appreciate the help. I guess I'll give a new shoulder harness a try but with the mile long driveway it just seems to get longer every year. Ray I think Echo may be my next trimmer after having an Echo chainsaw. The Stihl is a great trimmer however the Echo is by far the easiest to start and always runs great. I just thought that if one of you had tried the backpack trimmer it would be great to get your feedback. Thanks again.

 

[skeets]

Thanks Big G that is worth a look into!

 

[Russell King]

Thanks for the input guys, appreciate the help. I guess I'll give a new shoulder harness a try but with the mile long driveway it just seems to get longer every year. Ray I think Echo may be my next trimmer after having an Echo chainsaw. The Stihl is a great trimmer however the Echo is by far the easiest to start and always runs great. I just thought that if one of you had tried the backpack trimmer it would be great to get your feedback. Thanks again.

Could you get the tractor mounted trimmer and the the drive would be much less work. I recall that DR Trimmers offer a 3PH PTO driven string trimmer for fence lines and such

 

[sheepfarmer]

Thanks for the input guys, appreciate the help. I guess I'll give a new shoulder harness a try but with the mile long driveway it just seems to get longer every year. Ray I think Echo may be my next trimmer after having an Echo chainsaw. The Stihl is a great trimmer however the Echo is by far the easiest to start and always runs great. I just thought that if one of you had tried the backpack trimmer it would be great to get your feedback. Thanks again.

The other solution is to realize that for this year the weeds/grass have won. It has suddenly turned cold here, feels like mud season under way, snow any time, and so the cold will stifle the edges of your driveway and the snow will bury it. Next year maybe your driveway will look shorter!

 

[bearbait]

The other solution is to realize that for this year the weeds/grass have won. It has suddenly turned cold here, feels like mud season under way, snow any time, and so the cold will stifle the edges of your driveway and the snow will bury it. Next year maybe your driveway will look shorter!

Well I must say you shock me sheepfarmer, 2 four little words (cold &snow) and one 3 letter word (mud) all in one sentence, I'm appalled.

 

[bearbait]

Well guys it looks like I may have been worrying for nothing, pretty sure this will be my last year here, I think it's sold. A buyer had his building inspector in yesterday and we passed with flying colors but until the deal is done its business as usual. Thank you all for taking the time to help me out.